Antivirus software is nearly as crucial as a PC’s operating
system. Even if you’re well aware of potential threats and practice
extreme caution, some threats just can’t be prevented without the
extra help of an AV program—or a full antivirus suite.
You could, for example, visit a website that unintentionally
displays malicious ads. Or accidentally click on a phishing email
(it happens!). Or get stung by a zero-day threat, where an
undisclosed bug in Windows, your browser, or an installed program
gives hackers entry to your system.
We’re not suggesting that PC security software is fool-proof.
Antivirus software often can’t do much to stop zero-day exploits,
for example. But it can detect when the undisclosed vulnerability
is used to install other nasty bits, like ransomware, on your
machine. Anyone who actively uses email, clicks on links, and
downloads programs will benefit from an antivirus suite.
Our recommendations strike a balance between excellent
protection, a worthwhile selection of features, and minimal impact
on your PC’s performance. You can read about how we test antivirus
suites below.
Updated on 11/23/2021 to include our review
of Avast One, which represents big strides for
this stalwart antivirus maker. There is a lot to like here,
including a good price, good performance, and useful extra
features. See links to all of our antivirus reviews at the bottom
of this article.
Best antivirus suite 2021
Norton Security Premium is no more, but our pick for best AV has
stayed in the family, with Norton 360 Deluxe. There aren’t a lot of
fundamental changes to the suite compared to previous iterations,
which also means its just as solid. The pricing now covers fewer
devices, but you get a good number of extra features such as Dark
Web Monitoring and VPN access, making for an overall excellent
value.
Best budget antivirus
suite
AVG Internet
Security does an excellent job of protecting your PC, but it’s
interface could be a lot better. Nevertheless, with unlimited
installs for $70 per year, it’s hard to beat this popular security
solution.
Best free antivirus suite
If Windows 10 is already working, why add anything else? If its
built-in security suite, Windows Security, performs on par with the
best of the free AV options—as we discovered in our roundup of the best free antivirus—why add the
extra baggage of a third-party program? Sure other AV programs
might offer marginally better protection, but not enough to
outweigh the convenience of rolling with Microsoft’s home-grown
offering. Windows Seucrity also has ransomware protection, which
many free options don’t. Plus, …….